Buckle



Dec. 3, 1963 M. o. DERRICKSON 3,112,543

BUCKLE Filed Feb. 7, 196

United States Patent 3,112,543 BUCKLE Michael '81. Derricks'on, Norwood, Pm, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Fle'lC Corporation, Elan Jose, Call? a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 7, 1962, Ser. N 171,625 2 Claims. (ill. 24-74) The present invention relates to the art of strapping bales, boxes, bundles and the like and more particularly to an improved buckle for securing the ends of a flexible strap which is looped tightly about an object or group of objects. In its more particular aspects the invention deals with a buckle which may conveniently be used with a highly flexible non-metallic strap having only one free end.

For years it has been common practice to provide reinforcing steel bands or straps about various kinds of packages and boxes to protect them from damage during shipment, and in the case of bales to hold the baled material under compression. More recently, a new type of banding or strapping material has been introduced as an imroved substitute for steel bands. Such new type strapping material is known as cord strapping and consists of a wefaless tape or strap formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending side by-side cords formed, for example, of rayon, paper, or other non-metallic material. In some strapping operations, a strap is used which is pre-cut to length so that it has two free ends. In other operations a length of strapping is withdrawn from a supply such as a roll and secured about the object before cutting the secured portion from the supply. In this latter instance there is, of course, only one free end of the strap available and this makes it more ditficult to secure the strap around the object. Cord strapping in general is much more flexible than steel band strapping, and for this reason, as well as the substantially different structure of the strap, the devices employed for securing steel bands have not proven satisfactory for use with cord strapping. The present invention is aimed at providing a buckle suitable for use with cor-d strapping.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved one-piece buckle suitable for use with cord strapping.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved buckle capable of withstanding deformation when subjected to severe forces due to a highly tensioned strap.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved buckle adapted for use with a strap having only one free end.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of certain preferred embodiments thereof proceeds:

Referring now to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the buckle;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view showing the method of lacing a flexible strap with the buckle;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the manner of drawing the strap tight about an object after the strap has been laced with the buckle;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing the condition of the buckle when the strap associated therewith is under tension; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational View showing a slightly modii ed form of the invention.

The buckle is formed of a single piece round wire, the gauge of which may vary according to the size and strength of buckle desired. As seen in FIG. 1, the "buckle is substantially rectangular and comprises a pair of strap engaging arms on two opposite sides thereof. One of the pairs of arms comprises a first arm and a second arm 1'1 and the other pair comprises a first of preferably 3,1 12,543 Patented Dec. 3, 1963 arm 12 and a second arm 13. The two pairs of arms are substantially parallel to one another, as are the individual arms of each pair. Arm 1% constitutes a terminal portion of the wire and one end of said arm is connected by a straight run 14 of the wire to one end of arm 12 which latter arm constitutes an intermediate segment of the wire. Arm 11 is connected by a straight run 15 of the Wire to one end of arm 13, run 15 being located in a common plane with run 14 and lying beneath run 14. The other end of arm 13 terminates in a hook 16 which extends beneath and partially around arm 12. In that form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, hook 16 terminates in an upward direct-ion. In that embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5, hook 16 extends horizontally over the top of arm 12 as indicated at *17, this extension 17 constituting the only difierence between the tWo embodiments of the invention. Arm 11 is connected by a straight run 18 of the wire to one end of arm 12. As shown in the drawing, a vertical plane through run 18 would extend at an angle to a vertical plane through run 14; but, if preferred, run v18 may be located in a vertical plane which is parallel to a vertical plane through run 14, this latter arrangement being accomplished by lengthening arm 11 so that it is the same length as arm 12. As shown in PEG. 2, the arms of each pair or" arms are spaced apart a distance sufficient to permit a strap 19 to be threaded therebetween and arms 11 and 13 are located in a common plane so that the buckle will rest fiat upon an object such as box 2%.

In use, a length of strapping material is withdrawn from a supply such as a roll 21 and pulled around the box or other article to be strapped and the free end of the strap is passed upwardly through the central opening of the buckle and thence around arm 12, between arms 12 and 13 and beneath arm 13 as indicated in FIG. 2. A loop 22 is then formed in the strap and pushed up through the central opening of the buckle. The loop is bent over as shown in FIG. 2 and the closed end thereof moved endwise of arm 10 and fitted over the free end of said arm. This leaves an excess amount of strap in the vicinity of the buckle but by pulling on that portion of the strap between the buckle and the roll 21, the excess is withdrawn and the strap drawn tightly about arm 10 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The strap may then be cut from the roll at a point a short distance from the, buckle.

The strap may be tensioned by hand as shown in FIG. 3 or by a suitable tensioning tool. Either end of the strap may be pulled to tighten, but the portion which is looped about the package cannot expand. This may be explained by referring to the left-hand portion of FIG. 4 wherein an end of the strap (which is that portion extending toward roll 21) is indicated at 22 and the portion of the strap extending around the package is indicated at 23. When portion 22 is pulled toward the left, portion 23 slides relatively freely beneath it toward the right but when portion 23 attempts to move toward the left, portion 22 is pinched beneath it and arm 11 of the buckle will not move.

Tension on the strap produces a downward component of force on arms 10 and 12 and the downward movement of arm 19 is limited at one end by engagement of run 14 of the wire with run 15 and the downward movement of the other end of said arm is limited by engagement of the free end thereof with run 18, it being important to the strength of the buckle that arm 16 be long enough so that the free end thereof overlaps run 18. Downward movement of arm 12 is limited at one end by engagement of run '14 of the wire with run 15 and the downward movement of the other end is limited by engagement with the underlying portion of hook 16. Thus, the buckle derives its ability to withstand deformation primarily by the fact that both ends of arms 10 and 12 are supported when the strap is under tension.

It will be apparent that when the buckle is used with a strap having two free ends, the strap may be engaged first with either the arms 10 and '11 or arms 12 and 13 and then subsequently threaded through the remaining pair. However, when used with a strap having only one free end, it is necessary to engage the free end with arms 12 and 13 because neither or these arms has a free end around which the loop 22 of the strap could be engaged.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A buckle formed of a single piece of wire, said buckle being generally rectangmlar and having a pair of strap engaging arms on two opposite sides thereof, said pairs of arms being substantially parallel and the arms of each pair being substantially parallel to one another, the first arm of one pair constituting a terminal portion of the wire and having a free end and the second arm of said pair constituting an intermediate segment of the wire, the first arm of the other pair constituting an intermediate segment of the wire and the second arm of said other pair terminating in a book which extends around the first arm of said pair, a straight run of the wire interconnecting the first arms of the two pairs of arms, a straight run of the wire interconnecting the second arms of the two pairs of arms, said straight runs of the wire lying in a common plane, and a straight run of the Wire interconnecting the 4 second arm of said one pair of arms and the first arm of said other pair of arms.

2. A buckle formed of a single piece of Wire, said buckle being generally rectangular and having a pair of strap engaging arms on two opposite sides thereof, said pairs of anrns being substantially parallel and the arms of each pair of arms being substantially parallel to one another, the first arm of one pair constituting a terminal portion of the wire and having a free end and the second arm of said pair constituting an intermediate segment of the wire, the first arm of the other pair constituting an inter-mediate segment of the Wire and the second arm of said other pair comprising a terminal portion of the wire,

a straight run of the Wire interconnecting the first arms of the two pairs of arms, a straight run of the Wire interconnecting the second arms of the two pairs of arms, said straight runs of the Wire lying in a common plane, and a straight run of the Wire interconnecting the second arm of said one pair of arms and the first arm of said other pair of arms.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 714,579 Hecht Nov. 25, 1902 733,950 Eddleman July 21, 1903 1,513,847 Montan Nov. 4, 1924 

2. A BUCKLE FORMED OF A SINGLE PIECE OF WIRE, SAID BUCKLE BEING GENERALLY RECTANGULAR AND HAVING A PAIR OF STRAP ENGAGING ARMS ON TWO OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, SAID PAIRS OF ARMS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND THE ARMS OF EACH PAIR OF ARMS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER, THE FIRST ARM OF ONE PAIR CONSTITUTING A TERMINAL PORTION OF THE WIRE AND HAVING A FREE END AND THE SECOND ARM OF SAID PAIR CONSTITUTING AN INTERMEDIATE SEGMENT OF THE WIRE, THE FIRST ARM OF THE OTHER PAIR CONSTITUTING AN INTERMEDIATE SEGMENT OF THE WIRE AND THE SECOND ARM OF SAID OTHER PAIR COMPRISING A TERMINAL PORTION OF THE WIRE, A STRAIGHT RUN OF THE WIRE INTERCONNECTING THE FIRST ARMS OF THE TWO PAIRS OF ARMS, A STRAIGHT RUN OF THE WIRE INTERCONNECTING THE SECOND ARMS OF THE TWO PAIRS OF ARMS, SAID STRAIGHT RUNS OF THE WIRE LYING IN A COMMON PLANE, AND A STRAIGHT RUN OF THE WIRE INTERCONNECTING THE SECOND ARM OF SAID ONE PAIR OF ARMS AND THE FIRST ARM OF SAID OTHER PAIR OF ARMS. 